Second-hand-setting mechanism for watches.



C. SINBAD.

SECOND HAND SETTING MEGHANISM FOR WATCHES.

APPLICATION FILED APR 25. [916.

1 244,251. Patented Oct. 23,1917.

3SHEETS-SHEET I.

Suvawtoa C. SINBAD.

SECOND HAND SETTING MECHANISM FOR WATCHES.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 26- I9I6.

awucm fioz 6 4127? 4540 Gnome/13s Patented 0%.23, 1917.

3 $HEETSSHEET 2.

C. SINBAD.

SECOND HAND SETTING MECHANISM FOR WATCHES.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 26. 1916.

Patented Oct. 23,1917.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3.

5 M m a UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

GHABLESiL-SINBAD,l OF SAN FRANGI'SCQ. CALIFOIIELNIA ASSIGNOR -0F ONE-SIXTH TO PETER J. M*.'-..BEBTELSEN-AND'-ONEeSIXTHYTO.-ANDRIEW'BEBTELSEN; BOTH; OF SAN FRANCISCO; CALIF-QRNLA;

sEcoNDeHANn-smmme MEoHAN sM. r03, WATCHES.

T0 all whom itmay concern Be it known that I, CH RLES. SINBAD, a citizen of the United States, residing at SanFrancisco, in the county of San Francisco' and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improve ments in Second-Hand setting' Mechanisms for WVatches, of which. the following is a specification.

My invention; relates to new and useful improvements in watches and more particularly to the setting mechanisms thereof, the primary object. of my invention being the provision of a mechanism for watches by means of which it is possible to set the second hand of the watch by the lever, and stem employed at the present. time in setting, the minute andhour hands, this being accomplished without any possibility of injury to the watch.

When a watch leaves a watchmaker, the minute hand and second hand should correspond, the. secondhand being; at the 60 mark of its dial. when the minute hand is upon a full minute mark. Obviously, .however, the hands will correspond in this manner only until the first time that the watch'is reset and, no satisfactory way, at present,'.is known for overcoming this'diflieulty, although two methods are commonly employed.

One way of bringing the second hand into correspondence with. the minute hand of the Watch is'to move the second hand with a pair, of tweezers, a screw driver or other suitable instrument while the watch is running. The probability of breaking the. roller jewels or injuring the pallet jewels or the'balan'ce pivots and like. parts is great: if this method is followed. The other'way, which is the way generally employed, is tostop the balance. wheel until the second hand. corresponds with the second hand upon the regulator by which the watch isbeing set and in then setting the minute hand to correspond'to the regulator. The balance wheel is commonly stopped by afather and inasmuch; as the jewelsare covered with oil, oil frequently gets upon the feather and from the feather to the hairspring with the result that the watch will not keep proper time until such oil has been removed, which can be doneonly by removing the bridge with its balance wheel Specificationof Letters .Batent.

Application filed April 26, 1916.

Patented-Oct. 23, 1917.

SerialNq. 93,657.

and; hair-spring from the rest of the watch. Toovercome this, some people employ a pin, needle or other instrument to stop the balance wheel, but this method is open to objection because of the extreme likelihood ofinjuring the pivots of the balance Wheel.

Ofcourse, it is obvious that the better the watch and the more delicate its-works, the more likely it is to beinjured by improper treatment and one of the primary objects of my invention consists in providing an arrangement for stopping the second hand of 'a watch which cannot possibly injure any portion of the watch no matter how delicate its construction may be.

In this connection, a further object of my invention isto provide a swinging support for the second hand pivot which may be mounted between the plates of the watch in such a manner that the pinion of the second hand pivot may be swung into and out ofmesh witlrthe toothedwheel by which it is driven. Obviously, this cannot place any strain upon the jewels, pivots or other delicate portions of the watch mechanism* and no injury can result.

A still further object ofmy'invention is to mount the swinging support for the sec ond hand pivot in such a manner that such pivot is fir-mlyheld in order that second hand may be adjusted upon. its pivot or spindle without injuring the other parts of the watch or even removed. from its pivot or spindle-no matter how tightly it may be wedged or held thereon.

A still further object ofmy invention consists in'the provisionof a switch lever for swinging the second hand pivot carrying member into and out of normal. position and in so arranging the switch lever and the ordinary setting lever. of the watch that actuation of the setting lever, in the usual manner to permit setting of the watch, will actuate the.- switch lever to'swing the pinion of the second hand pivot out of engagement with its drive wheel.

Although the switch lever acts to positively swing the second hand. pivot to inactive position, I' preferably depend upon the action of the spring to return the pivot to active or normal position, and a still further object of my invention consists in providing an adjustable device for limit- 5 ployed in adjustingmy device;

2 p l r r 1,244,261

ing the return movement of the second hand pivot and therefore for regulating the depth to which the teeth of the second hand pinion and its drive wheel shall mesh.

Further objects of my invention are the provision of a frictionspring fol-preventing turning movement of the second hand pivot" when in inactive position, and the provision of a suitable seat upon the switch lever to engage a pin carried by the pivot carrying body or member and lock it against return movement under the action of its spring until the switch lever is returned to normal position.

WVith these and other objects in view, my invention will be more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, then specifically pointed out in the claims which are attached to and form a part of this application.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary plan view of my invention applied to an. eighteen size, lever set watch movement of a standard open face type, a portion of the topv or back plate being-broken away to show the de vice and the correlated parts of the watch works proper;

Fig.2 is a plan view of the lower or face plate of the watchrwith the works removed, showing certain modifications in structure to adapt it for receipt of my improvement;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary Vertical sectional view taken through the back and front plates of the watch, showing my device in elevation;

Fig. 4 is an elevation of the main portion of myinvention, showing the parts in unassembled position;

Fig. 5 is a front elevation of the mecha; nism shown in Fig. 4, in connection with the toothed wheel which drives the second hand pivot;

Fig. 6 is an outside plan view of the loweror face plate of the watch, showing my invention applied, the setting mechanism being in inactive or normal position;

Fig. 7 isa view corresponding to Fig. 6, showing the hand settingrmechanism in active position I Fig. 8 is an outer plan view of the top w or back plate of the watch;

. Fig. 9 is an inner plan view of the same plate w1th the works removed;

Fig. 10 lllustrates a banking screw cm- Fig. 11 is a fragmentary plan viewof the watch dial withmy invention applied.

Corresponding and: like parts are referred to in the following"description and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

In order to insure a clear and accurate understanding of my invention, I have illustrated it in connection with the works of an eighteen size, lever set movement, open face watch. of standard type having the front or face plate 10 and back or top plate 11. It will, of eourse,.be understood. however, that my invention may be applied to any typeof watch which is suitable to receive it, though a special type of watch may be' made to embody my invention. In the watch illustrated in the drawings, 12 indicates the mainspring barrel and 13 indicates the works in general including suitable trains of gearing between the toothed wheel of the .main spring barrel, the hour and minute handpivots, and the pivot 14 of the pinion 15 which meshes with the third wheel 16 carried by the third wheel pivot 17.

Under ordinary circumstances, thc third wheel .16 meshes with the pinion of the second hand pivot of the watch at all times. My. invention primarily resides in providing a supplemental. third wheel mounted upon the pivot of the main third wheel and in so mounting the pivot of the second hand that it, together with its pinion, may be swung tobring its pinion either into or out of mesh with the teeth of the supplemental third wheel. To accomplish this, I provide a second hand pivot supporting member, indicated as a whole by the numeral 18, best illustrated in Figs. 3 to 5 inclusive of the drawings and suitably prepare the back and front plates of the watch for the recention of this member and its correlated elements. 7 The member 18 includes two bodv members 19 and 20,.thc former of which is substantially L-shaped, having an arm 21 terminating at its ends in pivots22 and 23, the latter pivot being formed with a shoulder 24. at its point of juncture with the arm 21. These pivots are in alinement with each other and seat in suitable bearing forming boresor holes 25 formed in the. back and front plates of the watch. The inner face of the front plate about its pivot receiving bore is countersunk, as shown at 26, to form a bearing for the adj aeent end of the arm 21, while the shoulder 24 engages the inner face of the back plate to provide a? similar bearing. Obviously, by this arrangement, the body portion .19 of the member 18 is firmly supported against any movement other than a swinging movement about its pivots 22 and 23, as an axis. The other arm of the body. portion 19, at its free end, is provided with an offset bulk head 27 which is cylindrical in shape and which seats in a circular depression 28 formed by cutting away or countersinking the inner face of the back plate 11. It should be noted at this point that this depression28 is of such extent as to permit a limited swinging movement of that arm of the. body portion. 19 carrying the bulkhead 27 The other body portion 20 of the second hand pivot supporting member 18 bulk is substantiallyrectangularin shape, being proportioned to ei'iga'ge against and coincide with the lower face of the horizontal arm of the body portion 19' to which it is secured by a screw'29. This body portion 20 is formed with an offset bulk head 30, corresponding to the bulkhead 27, and in direct alinement therewith, this bulk head seating in the recess l formed in the inner faceof the front plate '10 of the watch and corresponding to the recess 28 in the back. Atthis point it should be noted that there is the same end shake? between th'e'pivoted end of the member 18 and the face plates as between the bulkheads and face plates so that'if strain is exerted to draw a second hand fromits pivot that end of the arm 21 engaging the front plate and the bulk head 30 will engage the front plate at the same time and so that if strain is exerted by pressing "the second hand upon its pivot, the shoulder 2st and bulk head 27 will ongage the back plate at-the same time, with the result that the strain is uniformly taken up by thescbearing surfaces and all injury to the parts prevented.

A power pin 32 extends from the body portion 19, adjacent its arm 21, through the body portion 20 and through an arcuate slot 33 formed in the front plate of the watch. In like manner, a switch pin 3% extends from the body portion-l9 adjacent its bulk head 27, through the body portion 20, and through an arcu'ate slot 35 in the front plate ofthe watch; These pins prevent any turning movement of the body members with respect to each other,-although this is merely, an incidental function which they possess. 7

The opposed or inner faces of the bulk heads 27 and 30 are formed with cylindrical seats or-recesses 36 to receive the second handpivot 37 and the ends of this pivot are reduced and passed through bores or openings 38 formed completely through the ie'ads; that end of the pivot passing through the bulk; head] 30 being extended to form afisecond handreceiving spindle 39 which not only projects through the bulk head and througli an arcuate slot 40 formed in the front plate, but also through a correspondingslot 41' formed-in the dial 42 of the watch, as best shown in Fig. 11. Attention should be taken of the fact that the ends of the second hand pivot 37, as well as the ends of the pins 32 and 34, do not, at any time, touch either the back or front plates'ofthe-watch. Q

The'slot in the'b'ack plate 11, which receives one end of the pivot 37, provides means for oiling and as the pivot doesnot go'ycompletely through'the slot, oil supplied therein will not run out upon the plate.

Referring to Fig. 5, it should be noted thatthe third wheel 16 of the watch, to

which power is transmitted by the third wheel pivot 17 and which usually meshes with the pinion of the second hand carrying pivot, projects between the bulk heads 27 and 30 and is in no way interfered with by my above described device. In connection with the device thus far described, I provide'tlie second hand pivot with a pinion a8 and the third wheelpinion with a supplemental third wheel a l. These correspond to the ordinary third wheel and second hand pinion, with the exception that both the pinion and wheel have double the usual number of teeth in order that they may split seconds as the pinion is swung into and out of engagement with the supplemental third wheel. As a means for preventing continued turning or over-turning of the second hand pivot, when its pinion is out of engagement with the. supplemental third whechlprovide a very light friction spring of the leaf spring type which is secured at one end to the inter mediate portion of one side of the body portion 1!) of the member 18 and which, at its other end, engages tangentially against the pivot 37. This friction spring also keeps the second hand from trembling.

is will be seen by referring to Figs. 6 and 7 of the drawings, the outer face of the front plate 10 of the watch is countersunk to provide a circular recess 4E6'and further countersunk to provide'an arcuate recess 47 extending from therecess &6 to the countersunk recess i in which the ordinary hand settin g lever and yoke operate. Both the power and switch pins 32 and 3 extend into the recesses 46 and 4-7 respectively, and a spring l9 secured in any recess 4E6 engages the end of the power pin to normally hold the second hand pivot carrying member '18 in such position that the second hand pinion 43 is held in mesh with the supplemental third wheel In order to. properly adjust the depth to which the teeth of this pinion and wheel shall intermesh, I provide a banking screw 50 which, as best shown in Fig. 10, includes a threaded body portion having a doubly slotted end to receiv e a screw driver and an eccentrically formed banking pin 51 extending from its opposite end. This screw is aireaded inwardly through the face plate 10 through an opening so disposed that the banking pin 51 will engage the side of the pivot holding member 18 and adjustably limit its swinging movement into active position. The plates 10 andll are preferably formed with small openings or peek-holes 50 through which the intermeshing teeth of the pinion L3 and supplemental third wheel 44. are disclosed in order to facilitate adjustment-by means of the banking screw. I

Having thus described the improved means for swingingly supporting the second hand carrying pivot of the watch in such a manner that the second hand pinion may be moved into and out of engagement with the supplemental third wheel, I will now explain the means by which the ordinary hand setting mechanism of the watch may be utilized to effect the swinging of the second hand pivot to unmesh its pinion from the supplemental third wheel. Referring more particularly to Figs. 6 and 7 of the drawings, 53 indicates the usual hand setting yoke and 54 the yoke spring. This yoke is provided with the usual finger 55 engageable by one arm of a bell crank setting lever 56, the opposite arm of which is formed with an arcuate extension 57 which projects through the side of the watch casing and terminates in an offset finger piece 58 by'means of which the arm 57 may be drawn to extended position to swing the lever 56 to the position shown in Fig. 7 against the'a'ction of the yoke spring 54. This movement of the yoke, of course, brings the usual hand setting pinion 55) into mesh with the wheel 60 so that the hour and minute hands may be set by the stem 61 of the watch, in the usual manner. \Vith my im proved watch construction, I provide the recess 48 with an arcuate extension 62 forming a continuation of that portion of the recess in which the arcuate terminal of the setting lever 56 swings and provide that arm of the lever 56 having the extension 57 with an oppositely directed arcuate extension 63 forming a continuation of the extension 57 and having its outer edge cutaway to provide an elongated notch 64. Pivoted'intermediate its length by a screw 65 and seating in the arcuate recess 47, previously mentloned, is a switch lever 66 forming part of my present invention. This switch lever, at one end, is formed with a finger 67 which seats in the notch 64 and at its opposite end is formed with a head having a cam face 68 adapted to engage the switch pin 34 upon outward movement of the arm 57 of the setting lever to swing the second hand pivot supporting member 18 and hold it with the second hand pinion 43out of mesh with the supplemental third wheel 44. Obviously, as soon as the arm 57 of the setting lever 56 is pressed inwardly to normal position, the yoke spring will returnthe yoke to normal position and the power spring 49 will return the second handpivot supporting member 18 to normal position to bring the pinion 43 into mesh with the supplemental third wheel 44. The operation of setting a watch equipped with my improved second hand setting device is as follows: The operator places'his finger upon the setting lever 56 and watches the second hand move until it reaches the mark 60 when he pulls out the setting lever, moving the second hand pinion out of engagement with the supplemental third wheel and, consequently, stopping its movement. The operator then turns the stem of the watch to bring the hour and minute hands to the right position, according to the regulator or chronometer by which the watch is being set and holds the minute hand of the watch in accordance with the minute hand of the timing regulator or the chronometer until the second hand on the regulator or chronometer reaches the 60 division of the second hand dial when he pushes in the setting lever to bring the second hand pinion into mesh with the supplemental third wheel. When this opera tion had been performed, the watch is properly set and all itshands correspond as they should. Upon pulling out of the setting lever, the second hand, which at that time was on the 60 mark of the second hand dial, is swung backward one or more divisions of the dial, due to the swinging action. This second hand will, however, move forward acorresponding amount, also due to the swinging action, when the setting lever is pushed in and the second hand carrying member returned to normal position. This rearward swinging movement of the second hand need not, therefore, be considered in setting the watch. Obviously, with the second hand pinion in inactive position, or out of mesh with the third wheel, the second hand may be turned upon the pinion or removed and replaced by another without any injury to the watch no matter how delicate its works may be. 7

Although I have referred to the plates 10 and 11 as front and back plates, it will be understood that I do not wish to be limited to the plates shown, as I intend, by the term late to cover not only the relatively solid pizite but also skeletonized plates, bridges and other supporting members employed in watch construction. The word plate, both in the specification and claims, should, therefore, be construed as including plates, bridges and like structures.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. In a watch, the combination with back and front plates, a train'of gearing between the plates, and a setting lever extensible to bring certain of the gears into position to permit setting of the hour and minute hands, of a second hand pivot mounted for movement toward and away from one of the elements of the gearing and for turning movement but held against other movement, a second hand pinion mounted on the pivot and adapted in one position of the pivot, to mesh with an element of the gearing, means normally holding the pivot in such position, an arcuate notched extension formed upon the settin lever, and a switch lever pivotally mounted with one end seating in the notch of the setting lever, whereby swinging of the setting lever swings the switch lever and with its other end operatively disposed to swing the second hand pivot to move its pinion out of mesh with the element of the gearing.

2. In a watch, the combination with a train of gearing and a setting lever extensible to bring certain of the gears in position to permit setting of the hour and minute hands, of a second hand pivot mounted for movement toward and away from one of the elements of the gearing and for turning movement, a pinion mounted on the pivot to be moved in and out of mesh with such element of the gearing, and means co-acting between the setting lever and pivot for swinging the pivot.

3. In a watch, the combination with a train of gearing and a setting lever extensible to bring certain of the gears in position to permit setting of the hour and minute hands, of a second hand pivot mounted for movement toward and away from one of the elements of the gearing and for turning movement, a pinion mounted on the pivot to be moved in and out of mesh with such element of the gearing, and means co-acting between the setting lever and pivot for swinging the pivot, said means including a lever operatively engaging the pivot and setting lever.

4:. In a watch, front and back plates, a

train of gearing between the plates, the plates being formed with a pair of alined pivot receiving openings and in spaced relation with a second pair of alined pivot receiving openings, one of the plates about one of the first openings being formed in its inner face with a recess and both plates about the second pivot receiving openings being formed in their inner faces with recesses, a member mounted between the plates and having pivots engaging in the first pivot receiving openings, the pivots being at one end of the member and the member at such end being formed with a shoulder to engage against one plate and with a bulk head to seat in the recess of the other, bulk heads formed upon the opposite end of the member and seating in the recesses surrounding the pivot openings, these pivot openings being in the form of slots concentric with the first pivot openings, a second hand pivot journaled in such end of the member and projecting in the slots, a pinion carried by the pivot and adapted to mesh with one of the gears, pins projecting from the member through slots formed in one of the plates, means cooperating with one of the pins for normally holding the member in one position, and means cooperating with the other pin for moving the member to another position.

In testimony whereof I aiflx my signature.

CHARLES SINBAD. [L. s.]

copies of. this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

